Electric fan assembly



Oct; 5, 1943. w. A. SPEAR I ELECTRIC FAN ASSEMBLY Filed March 12, 1941 INVENTOR Patented Oct. 5, 1943 ELECTRIC FAN ASSEMBLY Walter A. Spear, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to Victor Electric Products, 1110., Cincinnati, Ohio, a. corporation of Ohio Application March 12, 1941, Serial No. 382,957

4 Claims.

This invention relates to electric fan assemblies and more particularly to the combination of an electric fan with a stand adaptable for use as an article of furniture, the fan being mounted beneath the top of the stand.

Numerous attempts have been made to incorporate a fan into a piece of furniture. For example, fans may be built into bookcases, cabinets, lamps and stands of various types.

It is an object of this invention to provide an inexpensive stand, artistic in appearance and having sufiicient rigidity to overcome excessivevibrations.

Another object of this invention is to provide duo-functional legs, each having one end adapted to support the table top and the opposite end adapted to support the motor housing.

Another object of this invention is to provide a duo-functional mounting ring for resiliently supporting the motor and for concealing the unsightly assembly parts. 1

Another object of this invention is to provide a plurality of duo-functional hoops that provide a guard for the fan and a breeze disperser for the air leaving the fan.-

Another object of this invention is to provide graduated hoops, so that the hoops used as breeze dispersers differ in size from the hoops functioning solely as a guard.

Another object of this invention is to deflect the air currents into a conical path and subsequently disperse the deflected air currents.

Other objects and advantages reside in the construction of parts, the combination thereof and the mode of operation, as will become more apparent from the following description.

' In the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the electric fan mounted in the base of a stand simulating a tableor a magazine stand.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view with parts shown in section.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary, detailed, cross sectional view.

Stands, having incorporated therein an electric fan, have been used and on sale for some time. Such stands have a tendency to vibrate when in use.

In the device disclosed herein, a rigid structure has been produced wherein the shelf or shelves of the stand, as the case may be, are supported upon a plurality of J-shaped tubular less. In the modification disclosed, four such legs have been shown. The longer portions of the legs support the shelf or the shelves, the deflecting cone and the duo-functional guard and deflector shaped in cross sectional area.

motor 30 and the supporting ring 20.

of one embodiment of the invention, without being limited to the structure shown.

Referring to the drawing, the reference nu meral l0 indicates a shelf or a table top supported upon a plurality of J-shaped, tubular legs l2. The tabletop I0 is provided with a peripheral flange lllbsecured to the upper ends of the legs l2 by suitable screws or rivets H The legs l2 are tubular and are provided with capping members H3. The capping members are preferably chrome plated for contrast.

The lower ends of the legs are curved and provided with an upwardly projecting portion l2a. supporting an annular ring 20, substantially L- This ring is attachedto the legs by suitable screws or bolts 22, one for each leg. The lowerends of the legs projecting upwardly are preferably capped with capping members 24. The downwardly projecting flange 20a of the ring, in additionto functioning as a rigid support for attaching the rings to the legs, also functions as a'shield to hide the nuts threadedly engaging the-bolts, that is, the ring is used to shield or hide the unsightly portion of the assembly.

The horizontal flange portion 2% supports a plurality of rubber snubbers 26, forming resilient supports positioned between the housing of the The housing of the motor 30 is held in position upon the supporting ring 20 by bolts 32 passing through the housing, through the snubbers 26 and suitable apertures in the flange 20bof the supporting ring 20. These bolts are held in position by suitable nuts positioned under the flange 20b, so as to be concealed by the same.

The fan blades 34 propel the air upwardly, where it is deflected by a cone 36 mounted underneath the shelf 38 and secured in position by the screws l4, passing through suitable apertures in the flange 38a of the shelf and threadedly engaging the flange 36a of the cone 38, as clearly shown in Figure 3.

The motor and the fan blades are guarded by a duo-functional guard assembly including a. plurality of hoops 40 and 42. The hoops 42 are of a smaller diameter than the hoops 40. The hoops 42 in addition tofunctioning as a guard for the fan blades, also serve as a deflector for deflecting the air escaping from the fan. In the past it has been the common practice on behalfoi. at least some manufacturers, to mount the guard assembly in spaced relation from the cone, so as to prevent obstruction of the air flow escaping from the cone. This results in a conical air stream extending parallel to the elements generating the cone. This is undesirable for the reason that for best effects the air stream emerging from the fan should be deviated from a conical pattern. It has been found that by placing a wire hoop of the proper diameter,.or a plurality of wire hoops of the proper diameter, in the air stream, the air stream is dispersed or broken up, so that it does not follow a conical pattern, but instead, is dispersed, so as to move the air throughout a larger zone extending to all sides of the fan stand.

The hoops 40 and 42 are preferably welded to retaining members or spacers 5D, one for each of the legs of the stand and spacing stays 52 located between the legs. The retaining members 50 and the spacing stays 52are located inside of the hoops, so as to be rather inconspicuous. The retaining members or spacers 50 are secured to the legs of the stand by suitable bolts, screws or rivets 60. The distance between the hoops 4D is the same as the distance between the hoops 42 and the distance from the upper hoop 42 to the outer periphery of the cone. By selecting a proper spacing for effective distribution of the air between the upper hoop and the margin of the conical deflector 36 and using this distance as a spacing unit, an attractive appearingfan assembly is thereby produced. It is neat in appearance, effective in performance and economical to produce.

An electric switch button is mounted on the outside of the guard and connected in a suitable mannerto the' switch box 12 supported within the guard.

Although the preferred modification of the device has been described, it will be understood that within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generally stated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A fan assembly including the combination of a motor driven fan with a stand therefor, said stand including a shelf, an air deflecting cone mounted underneath the shelf, and means for supporting the shelf and cone, said means including a plurality of tubular J-shaped legs having the longer end portions fixedly secured to the shelf and the cone and the shorter end portions directed inwardly and upwardly, a motor supporting ring fixedly attached directly to the shorter end portions of the legs, and a plurality of rubber snubbers mounted upon said ring for resiliently supporting the motor of the fan with the fan directing the air against the deflecting cone.

2. A fan assembly including a motor, a fan supported and driven by the motor, supporting means for the motor and the fan supported thereby, and a duo-functional guard, said supporting means including a table-like shelf, a deflecting cone mounted beneath the shelf, a plurality of J-shaped tubular legs having the longer ends fixedly attached to the shelf, the shorter ends of the legs being inwardly and upwardly directed, and resilient means for attaching the motor to the shorter ends of the legs for resiliently supporting the motor driven fan so as to propel the air against the conical surface of the deflecting cone, said duo-functional guard being fixedly attached to the longer ends of the legs so as to enclose the fan assembly, said guard having means projecting into the air stream deflected by the cone for dispersing the deflected air.

3. A fan assembly including a motor, a fan supported and driven by the motor, supporting means for the motor and the fan supported thereby, and a duo-functional guard, said supporting means including a table-like shelf, a deflecting cone mounted beneath the shelf, a plurality of J-shaped, tubular legs having the longer ends fixedly attached to the shelf, the shorter ends of the legs being inwardly and upwardly directed, and resilient means for attaching the motorto the shorter ends of the legs for resiliently supporting the motor driven fan so as to propel the air against the conical surface of the deflecting cone, said duo-functional guard including a plurality of annular hoops, means for supporting the hoops in fixed spaced relation from each other, some of said hoops being located in the deflected air stream so as to disperse the air, and means for attaching the guard assembly to the longer ends of the legs so as to enclose the 4. A fan assembly including a motor driven fan, supporting means therefor, and a duo-functional guard, said supporting means including a table-like shelf, a deflecting cone mounted beneath the shelf, a plurality of J-shaped tubular legs having the longer ends fixedly attached to the shelf, the shorter ends of the legs being in wardly and upwardly directed, and a motor mounting fixedly attached to the shorter ends of the legs, said'motor mounting including a ring having an L-shaped cross sectional area with one flange engaging the sides of the legs and the other flange horizontally disposed for supporting a plurality of rubber snubbers disposed intermediate the motor driven fan and the ring for resiliently supporting the motor so as to cause I 

